Choices.

Sometimes You Just Want A Clean Start

The puddle of water on our kitchen floor was the first clue. Either one of our dogs left an unnaturally large "lake" or the dishwasher leaked.

Bad news. It wasn't the dogs.

Because I hate dealing with plumbing, I called in a pro. "Your pump has gone and a valve is busted," he said.

What about repairing it?

"I can give you a new pump -- installed -- for about $200. A new valve will run about $35."

Realizing I was approaching the $300 mark, where dishwasher prices begin, I opted for Door No. 2. "I think I'll buy a new one."

First, I educated myself by reading the dishwasher appraisals published in the most recent Consumer Reports Buying Guide. Especially interesting was the section comparing brands with the highest and lowest number of complaints.

After visiting five stores that carried a wide variety, I've got my own recommendations.

- Two arms. Check out the number of "arms" from which water is spread. All dishwashers have at least one arm below the bottom rack. Look for a dishwasher that also has a top arm, above the upper rack.

- Delayed start. This feature can help cut electrical costs. The timing device can enable your dishwasher to turn itself on at hours when there are off-peak electrical rates -- usually at night.

- Quiet running. This is especially important if you use a delayed-start control to run the dishwasher at night. But a quiet dishwasher can be important at any time. New types of water pumps and additional insulation have made many dishwashers exceptionally quiet.

Our old dishwasher made so much noise that it was hard to hear a TV set 30 feet away. Now we have to strain to hear our new dishwasher from that same spot.

- Self-cleaning filter. Cleaning a regular filter in the bottom of your dishwasher is not only an unpleasant chore, it's one that most people probably forget about until it's too late and the dishwasher clogs.

- Locked controls. If you have a child of the age that likes to press buttons or key pads -- what little kid doesn't -- consider a dishwasher that uses a hidden touch pad to lock the controls once you've set them.

Dishwashers range in price from about $250 to $800. Many, however, fall in the $350-$600 price range.

It involved a lot of footwork checking out all those dishwashers, but it was all worthwhile when my wife removed the first load of dishes from our new one.